Local Flavour: Eating in Toronto, 1830-1955
About the Exhibit
Toronto Public Library presents Local Flavour: Eating in Toronto, 1830-1955, an exhibition of cookbooks, advertisements and photographs that look at Toronto’s history through cooking and dining. The exhibition traces 125 years of culinary history in Toronto from the publication of early cookbooks to the development of household appliances; the rise of manufactured and convenience foods; grocery stores; victory gardens and rationing during the war years; dining out and the growing sophistication of an urban palate.
Highlights from Special Collections include the first English language cookbook published in Canada in 1831, turn-of-the-century Toronto restaurant menus, an 1811 liquor licence, archival photographs of local food shops, markets and taverns, trade catalogues depicting stoves and fridges from the 19th century, promotional business cards, canned food labels and a wide range of cookbooks.
Loans
Paintings of Kensington Market and St. Lawrence Market on loan for the exhibition from the City of Toronto’s Art Collection; historical kitchen artifacts on loan from the City’s Museum and Heritage Services; a few digital photographic images provided by City of Toronto Archives and Library and Archives Canada.